Best Kept Secrets
by Reizbar-Ookami
Summary: Seto wants to know why he always picks Joey up at the Turtle Game Shop instead of at his own home. Joey doesn't feel secure enough in their relationship for him to know.


Best Kept Secrets

Joey smiled and snuggled closer to the brunet sitting with him, laying a quick kiss on his neck. "I love stargazing with you…"

Seto nodded absently. "Mm…"

"…What's wrong?"

"Hmm? Nothing's wrong."

The blond scowled and leaned away. "You're lying, Seto. Tell me."

He sighed and glanced down at him, frowning. "I was wondering about why I pick you up from Yugi's shop instead of your own house. I know you have one."

"Oh. …Well, okay." Joey leaned his head back against the brunet's shoulder and sighed, smile fading.

"…Aren't you going to tell me?" Seto asked, glancing down at him again.

He shrugged slightly. "Someday."

The older teen nodded and didn't push the subject.

…Of course, we all know that he's going to find out what he wants with or without his boyfriend's help.

-x-x-x-

"…I still think this is really underhanded."

"Shut up and bring me coffee," Seto ordered tiredly, holding his hand out for the mug he knew his brother would bring him.

Mokuba sighed and handed him the mug. "It's hot."

"It's coffee."

"…This is really underhanded! Didn't Joey say he'd tell you eventually?"

Seto took a sip of his coffee and ran a hand through his hair, turning his gaze back on his computer. "I'm not a patient man, Mokie."

"…Joey's gonna be mad."

"I can't find his address."

"Good! He doesn't want you to find it!"

"I'll just hack into the school database."

"Again—Joey's gonna be _so_ mad at you."

-x-x-x-

Joey raised an eyebrow as he heard a knock on the door and looked up from his homework, frowning a little in confusion. "…Shooooot."

He marked his page and hid it under his mattress (where he kept all of the things he didn't want destroyed), then made his way toward the door, checking the living room for his father. He wasn't there, so he must be out drinking. Figuring it to be one of the neighbors—because hey, anyone _decent_ usually _called_ before they came over—he didn't worry about his appearance like he usually did. Usually he put on cover-up, but considering everyone from his neighborhood usually had bruises of their own, he didn't worry about it.

He rolled his eyes as the caller knocked again. "Coming!" He opened the door and looked up. "Can I help yoooo… Seto." He blinked in surprise. "…You're here. At my apartment. And I never told you where it was."

Seto raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to invite me in?"

"Um…" Joey turned and looked at his trashed out apartment, then turned and smiled at him nervously. "No. No, I'm not. You should have called first; I didn't get a chance to clean up."

"I don't mind," the brunet answered, waving it away. He frowned as he looked closer at his boyfriend's face, then reached out and gently caught his chin. "What the hell?"

"Um, um, it's just dirt!" the younger teen exclaimed, trying to push him away. "It's nothing—"

"That's a bruise," Seto stated, tracing the darkened skin around the blond's eye. "And this is a bruise, too. …And you've cut your lip."

Joey smiled nervously. "I fell down the stairs!"

"And this bruise…?" he asked, pulling the blond's shirt aside to expose another large, dark bruise. "The one shaped like a hand?"

"…Gang fight…?" he trailed off helplessly.

Seto slid his hand into the smaller teen's hair, gently pushing his head to the side to gaze into the apartment. "…This place is a dump."

"I keep it clean!" he exclaimed desperately, tears forming in his eyes. "Seto, it's really not like this all the time-!"

"You're lying, Joey." The brunet pushed his boyfriend to the side and walked into the house; judging by the smell of alcohol, it would be safer. "So your father beats you?"

Joey stomped his foot angrily. "It's none of your business! What are you doing? Get out of there!" he exclaimed, running after him and grabbing onto his arm to attempt to stop him. "Seto, _please!_"

Seto turned and spun the smaller teen to rest up against him, wrapping his arms around his waist securely. "Why didn't you tell me you lived in a trash heap, puppy?"

"Well I'm _sorry_ if I didn't want my _billionaire_ boyfriend coming to see what _trash_ he's dating!" the blond exclaimed, not raising his angry gaze to meet the older teen's. "So… so just tell me that you don't want me anymore and be done with it!"

"…Pack your things," the brunet ordered, turning the smaller teen to face his room and giving him a pat on the butt to get him moving. "Don't leave anything behind. You're not coming back here."

"But I just—wha?" Joey looked up at him and frowned. "…What did you say…?"

"I said pack your things." Seto gave the blond a harder spank, frowning. "Get in there, pup. I don't want you staying here any longer than you have to."

The younger teen looked down at his feet and sighed. "…Where am I going to go?"

"Tch. You're staying with me, where I can keep an eye on you and make sure no one else hurts my puppy," the brunet answered, as if it was the most _obvious_ thing in the world. "You're _my_ puppy. I don't want anyone touching you except me."

Joey looked up at him with hopeful but hesitant eyes. "You mean it?"

The older teen scowled at him and gave him a quick shove. "Hurry up, mutt. We'll talk in the car."

"Okay."

-x-x-x-

"…So… Tell me why you didn't want me to know."

Joey frowned and looked down at his lap, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. "…I… didn't think you'd still want me if you saw all of the stuff I have to go through. Because… because when you accept me, you're accepting my friends, my family, and my lifestyle. I didn't… I didn't want to get in too deep and then have you dump me."

Seto nodded slightly in response. "I see."

"…Well? Aren't you going to explode on me? No 'stupid mutt?' No 'third-rate duelist?'" the blond asked softly, looking up at his boyfriend in confusion.

The older teen shook his head slowly. "No."

"…Okay…" Joey looked back down at his lap and bit his bottom lip.

"It's not because I'm not angry," the brunet continued, pulling the car over to the side of the road so he could face him. "It's because I believe that your fears were legitimate. We've only been in a relationship for a few months, and we didn't have the best of friendships before that. You just made me realize that even though our relationship is going well, it's not perfect."

The younger teen looked up at him and blinked innocently. "…I'm sorry, Seto. I just… didn't want you to think any less of me."

Seto smiled and reached out to brush some hair out of his puppy's eyes. "I love you, puppy. I want you to come to me for help anytime. You're my only other precious person besides Mokuba."

Joey smiled back at him, raising his hand to link fingers with the older teen. "I'm glad you said that, Seto. I love you too." He turned his head to bring the brunet's hand against his cheek. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"…Any other secrets you want to be telling me?"

"…I'm a virgin and I think it's kinky when you get me riled up and call me dog names?" The blond frowned when all the response he got was a few blinks. "…Seto?"

The older teen growled and lunged forward, immediately covering the blond's body with his own. "_Mine._"

"_Ah!_ What are you doing! Ohmigosh, _what are you doing?_" Joey squealed, blushing as the brunet leaned down and started sucking on his neck. "_Seto!_"

-x-x-x-

Mokuba smiled and ran to the door to greet his brother. "Hey, Seto! Guess what I did in school today-! …Oh my God, Seto, what happened to your eye?" he asked in concern, unable to help noticing the large black eye he now sported.

"He began suffering from a case of pervert and I socked him for it!" Joey exclaimed, stomping past him with his bags in hand. "Show me a guest room, Mokie; there's no way in _hell_ I'm sharing a room with him!"

Seto raised an eyebrow and frowned. "I didn't know I was giving you a choice, puppy."

"Fine. But I'm sleeping on the floor!"

"Wha-? _Puppy!_ Wait, wait, wait!"

"I told you I was a virgin and the first thing you do is try to get in my pants! _Ha!_ Well, lemme tell you, buddy, you're not getting any until I'm good and ready!"

"Puppyyy! Come baaack!"

Mokuba heaved a sigh and shook his head. "They must have one of the most _complex_ relationships I've ever seen. How annoying…"


End file.
